


(Even in This Life) I will Find You

by Nekokratik



Series: (Even in This Life) I will Find You [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Benn having to put up with him, Comfort No Hurt, Fluff, Gen, Luffy being cute, Reincarnation, shanks being shanks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:55:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22338880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekokratik/pseuds/Nekokratik
Summary: Without even believing it himself, Shanks lived through adventures with strangers he had never met, saw fantastical monsters and experienced hallucinations that felt too real to be a dream, but nothing could have ever prepared him for this."I have met a lot of people back from our pirate days, but they have all reincarnated as themselves in a human form yet look at you! Wait 'till I tell Benn about this!"
Series: (Even in This Life) I will Find You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608052
Comments: 6
Kudos: 146





	(Even in This Life) I will Find You

"Boss, what are you doing?"

"Are you done already, boss? The night is still young!"

"Young? Stop kidding yourself, we still have work tomorrow, remember?"

"Don't worry about it! That's what hangover medicine is for!"

Shanks laughed at his friend's drunken antics. "You guys go on ahead, it seems like there is a very important meeting tomorrow morning, right Benn?" Shanks jostled his friend. "As the responsible adult tonight, I'll be going home early, you guys can take the day off tomorrow!"

His friends cheered, jumping up and down. Shanks laughed at them.

When Shanks was in his twenties, he had woken up one day with a migraine that lasted for weeks. His parents worried, but the doctors couldn't do anything other than wait it out. After two and a half weeks of high fever, he finally managed to gain consciousness and woke up to crying parents with nurses and doctors rushing around them. He got better little by little, smiling brighter than ever and charming everyone with his wits.

Without even believing it himself, Shanks had decided to keep quiet about what he saw in his feverish dreams and head cracking migraines. He lived through adventures with strangers he had never met, saw fantastical monsters and experienced hallucinations that felt too real to be a dream. Only a year later would he learn that what he saw was his past life, his life as a pirate, as one of the four Emperors of the New World, as Red Haired Shanks, and as the captain to the infamous pirate crew, the Red Hair Pirates.

One by one, he managed to gather most of his precious friends from his past life as he started his own company, The Red Force.

With brief farewells, the Red Force group made their way down the street while Benn stayed besides Shanks. He stared at his friend trying to gauge what his intentions were. They didn't schedule any meetings for the next week as they had just successfully finished a big project.

"Don't worry about me!" Shanks laughed as he thumped his former vice-captain on the back. "Just a got a feeling, if it turns out to be right then you will be the first one to know tomorrow, if not then I'll be good and go to bed early."

Benn begrudgingly nodded. "Just don't get into too much trouble, I'm not bailing you out."

Benn Beckman had met Shanks when they were in university, getting along as if they'd known each other for years. He had worried when the red head was absent for weeks, and after he was told by the parents that Shanks got better, he went to visit. He noticed a change in his friend, and only months later would Shanks confide in him. Together they researched trying to figure out what Shanks' visions meant. After great apprehension skepticism, they finally accepted that it was one of Shanks' past lives.

Shanks regaled about their past lives and all the adventures they had been on, and one day they decided to search out the rest of their crew members. If the two of them had managed to reincarnate, maybe some of the others managed, too. As former captain and vice-captain, they worried about the wellbeing of their friends, so they set out to start a company. After all, they were no longer pirates and without money they couldn't help anyone.

One by one, they found most of their crew, some of them had their own families, some of them were doing well, and some of them were not doing so good. Not everyone accepted their job offers, but those that didn't stayed in contact nonetheless.

Benn was used to his best friend's shenanigans and fortunately, Shanks' instincts usually ended in their favor.

Shanks watched as Benn took his leave and turned back towards the alley they had just passed. He stood on the street facing the alleyway staring into the dark crevices. He didn't know what he was looking for, but it would most likely come to him.

Before he could step into the alleyway, a ball of black fur landed in front of him and started barking nonstop.

Shanks stared at it in shock, unsure what to do. The small black dog seemed to be unhappy with his lack of reaction and tried clawing its way up Shanks pants.

"Ow, hey, hold on a second. What are you doing?" Shanks complained as he reached down and held the dog at arm's length in front of him.

As they stared at each other, Shanks felt an inkling of familiarity with those dark sparkling eyes. Upon closer inspection, he could see a light curving scar below the dog's left eye. The dog barked again and wiggled out of Shanks' hands.

Shanks stared as the small fluffy dog dug behind a cardboard box and pulled out a straw hat with a red band around it that has seen better days.

"No way," Shanks whispered. Shanks scooped up the dog and the hat with a shocked face. "There is absolutely no way."

The little dog barked as it dangled by the scruff of its neck in Shanks' hand while the red head examined the straw hat. A manic grin slowly stretched across Shanks face as he looked back and forth between the two objects in his hands.

"No way!" Shanks burst out laughing. "Luffy? Are you Luffy? Bark twice for yes!"

The little dog barked twice which made Shanks laugh even harder.

"No way! I must be dreaming! Blink once and bark twice!" Shanks laughed as the dog did as he said. He already had a feeling this was indeed Monkey D. Luffy, the brat he had given his precious hat to, and the boy who achieved the impossible in their past lives. Even so, it was fun to mess with him. "What? No, no, no. This must be a coincidence. No dog could turn around, jump twice, and do a back flip!"

Luffy turned in a tight circle, jumped as high as he could twice and managed to land a back flip on the third jump.

Shanks collapsed to the floor as he laughed uncontrollably with Luffy barking in his arms.

"Alright, alright! I believe you!" Shanks tried to placate the little ball of fur. "I have met a lot of people back from our pirate days, but they have all reincarnated as themselves in a human form yet look at you!"

Luffy started barking frantically.

"Well, anyways, you must be hungry, right? Let's go home," Shanks stood up and brushed the dirt of his pants. With Luffy in his arms still barking, Shanks headed home. "Ooh, wait 'till I tell Benn about this!"

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea after imagining Luffy as a black ball of fur. One of those tiny dogs, like a pomeranian if you want to be specific, with Fluffiness raised to the MAX. So dark that you can only see his beady eyes and a pink tongue that peaks out occasionally. He is a whirlwind of energy and high pitched barks like most little dogs ... and honestly I'm not a fan of small dogs, but I would definitely LOVE to have a small dog and name them Luffy XD


End file.
